Ceramic materials are typically strong in compression but are generally weak in tension or under torsional forces. Typically, ceramic materials fail in tension and/or under torsion via a crack propagation mechanism. Ceramic materials may be toughened by adding a second phase, such as carbon fibers, to form a composite material. However, the addition of such a second phase may complicate the formation process, adding expense. Further, the operating range of both phases may be very different; for example, carbon fibers may oxidize under high temperature refractory conditions and thus may not be an optimal toughening choice for refractory materials. Thus, there remains a need for a means to toughen refractory ceramic materials. The present novel technology addresses this need.